Siberian Husky owners..

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by trayi52

I would really like to hear more about this breed. Are they good with cats and other dogs? If you get them as puppies that is.

I was at a Pet Depot in Florence, and some lady said she could not keep hers at home that you couldn't keep them at home? She got rid of hers. She was what you call a back yard breeder and breeding small mixed dogs.
So anyway I would just like to hear what everybody else says about the Siberian Husky. Please tell me, as my daughter is wanting one too.(Me too)

Willie

They can be good with dogs and cats if properly socialized. They do tend to have a higher prey instinct than your average dog though.

The lady at Pet Depot is an idiot, and unfortunately there are many idiots who get siberian huskies. If she had read ANY book, article, website, etc. on huskies before getting hers she'd know that they are known to be escape artists and should never be allowed off-leash. They will dig, scale fences, etc...they love to run and roam. They are also stubborn, but intelligent...can be hard to train and know how to test you!

Don't get a husky based on looks!

[Glacier]

Originally posted by trayi52
I just love the Siberian Husky! I just fell in love with that breed after seeing Nebo, Tikeya(sp?) and the others on here.

I would really like to hear more about this breed. Are they good with cats and other dogs? If you get them as puppies that is.

I was at a Pet Depot in Florence, and some lady said she could not keep hers at home that you couldn't keep them at home? She got rid of hers. She was what you call a back yard breeder and breeding small mixed dogs.
So anyway I would just like to hear what everybody else says about the Siberian Husky. Please tell me, as my daughter is wanting one too.(Me too)

Willie

They are wonderful, amazing dogs, but if you are looking for a dog that obeys like a lab or a shepherd--keep looking! Siberians are bred to be independant thinkers. Their owners lives depended on them being able to make the right choices back in their beginings.

They are bred to run and run and run. They are difficult to confine and are definately escape artists. We have a girl right now at our local shelter who can LEAP a 7ft fence from a standstill. Doesn't even slow her down. I have an 8 foot fence and have never had one go over it. I have had them try to chew through it or dig under it.

They need tons of exercise. A bored husky is a not a dangerous thing--they will find a way to amuse themselves! Not likely to be a way you will be impressed with!

As a general rule, the breed is not good with cats or other small furry animals. That said, they can sometimes learn to live together. I have cats too and most of my dogs are fine with them. However, my cats never go outside and my dogs seems to be able to tell the difference between cats in the house=off-limits and cats in the yard. They will chase my neighbors' cats in a heartbeat. They've never caught one, but I'd guarentee the cat is dead if they do. They also hunt mice, squirrels and Muskwa once ate a friend's gerbil!

They are generally good with other dogs. They play rough though and until you get used to that, it might look they are killing each other! They are pack animals. They need a pack--either humans who spend tons of time with them or other dogs, or even better BOTH!

[trayi52]

Well to me they seem so intelligent. I like the sound of how they love their humans. Yeah I agee the woman at the pet store was an idiot. There was a very tiny Chihuahua there yesterday, sooo tiny, and I knew the woman that had bred the dog. I was telling them what a good breeder she was, wouldn't just sell her dogs to anybody, not a backyard breeder, and then found out the idiot was one of those backyard breeders. LOL, it was pretty funny.

But I would appreciate any advice and info you guys could give me. Info from people that own them is the best info, because you already own them and know the advantages and disadvantages of owning one.

I live down in the boonies, just about have to take a train to get to other people houses, which I like that, because Dana my Rottweiler can run outside and not scare other people to death by her looks.

So you guys keep advising me about these dogs, I see it would be a long time before I decided to actually get one, and it would only be after I reseached further.

Willie

[wolfsoul]

Here are some sites on huskies.

History and Breed standard
So you want a siberian husky?
You want a snowdog?

These sites aren't incredibly informative, but the pictures are nice.
Colours of the Siberian husky
Husky pictures

[Tonya]

Originally posted by jezebel
This is my little screwball, Gypsy! She is half Siberian Husky and half Queensland Shepherd. She's about a year and a half old in dog years, but she has the personality of a human 5 year old. She's always bossing my 2 boys, Brodie & Charlie, around, or trying to steal something she's not allowed to have! There is nothing that compares to being owned by a Husky! I can't imagine what my life would be like without her!


(Don't worry! She didn't really get drunk, but I imagine she would if I let her)

Husky and Queensland! I bet she's super duper hyper like Dusty. He's Australian shephard and husky. That cattle dog with husky is quite the combo. She's very beautiful.

[Tonya]

Originally posted by Glacier
And Wooly sibe isn't a breed. Woolies are the exact same breed as regular coated siberians. However, being a woolie is a disqualifying fault for a show dog. They make lousy working dogs as their coats cause all kinds of problems in the snow. They don't meet breed standard. IT's a recessive gene and good breeders are trying to eliminate it.

Your dogs are so beautiful!

That's interesting to know about wooleys. Not alot of people know much about them. I think alot of people think they are huskys crossed with something else. I believe it that their coats cause trouble! I have a heck of a time with Roxy's. Even though it is beautiful full length, I will probably never grow it out completly again.

[Tonya]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
And as a sidenote.....huskies, whether wooly or normal should never be shaved, it totally ruins their natural coat.

I'd talked to the vet and the sibe rescue about it. I was told that it is unneccesary if you are doing it to keep them cool. The down fur acts as a regulator. It can cool them down in the summer just as well as keep them warm in the winter. I didn't see a negative difference by shaving Roxy. But that might be the case for shorter haired showdogs.

[Tonya]

The main thing that I've seen common amongst all sibes is their rough play and digging. And they are good escape artists. I think they are great dogs, but they can be a handful.

Did you all ever see that pic I posted of a rescue sibe? His description warned that he was a major escape artist. Then I scrolled down, and there is a pic of him, standing on the roof of the house. lmao.

[CountryWolf07]

Originally posted by Tonya
The main thing that I've seen common amongst all sibes is their rough play and digging. And they are good escape artists. I think they are great dogs, but they can be a handful.

Did you all ever see that pic I posted of a rescue sibe? His description warned that he was a major escape artist. Then I scrolled down, and there is a pic of him, standing on the roof of the house. lmao.

I never saw that, Tonya.. LOL.. do you still have a pic of the dog?

[Tonya]

Darn! I found the thread, but the pic no longer comes up.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...+artist+rescue

Later on, I'll dig through imagestation and see if I can find it.

[EssTer]

wow, Glacier, actually it was first time when I saw your sibes... and I can say just they are AWESOME... I love 'em!!!!

And Wolfsoul, thanx for sharing those linx...they're very good

[trayi52]

Jordan those were very good links on the Siberian Huskys. Thanks for the links. They are really something to think about, that is for sure.

Willie

[Twisterdog]

wow eight sibs... she's sooo happy

She's crazy, is what she is!

Her dogs have killed several cats ... including her own cat.

And as a sidenote.....huskies, whether wooly or normal should never be shaved, it totally ruins their natural coat.

That's not true. We shave dozens and dozens of huskies every spring. Their natural coats always grow back in just fine. You would never know by looking at them that they were ever shaved.

I used to shave my Sibe every spring, and by winter you could not tell in the least. I had many husky people tell me he had the most beautiful coat of any husky they had ever seen.

People say that same thing about every breed, I swear, with the possible exception of poodles. I have heard it said, "Never shave a pom/collie/Aussie/GSD/border collie/etc.!" ... just about any breed. It's just not true. There is another groomer here in my town that kept her Australian shepherd shaved most of the year for a few years, then decided to start showing him. That dog when to Westminster last year. So, obviously, his coat grew back just fine. It's like saying to a human, "Never cut your hair, or it will never grow back again."

The only breed it IS true about are the wire haired terriers, where shaving causes the hair to grow back soft instead of wiry.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Beautiful Huskies, everyone!

What a great smile!

[wolf_Q]

Well, I'll just say I've seen some huskies and husky mixes as well as other breeds such as goldens, GSDs, labs, shelties, etc. that have been shaved have nasty coats grow back in. Two pomeranians came in a few days ago that had a lion cut a year ago, their coat still hadn't grown back as long as it should and they didn't have hardly any guard hairs. I've seen some that grew back fine also.

I guess I just have a different opinion but I absolutely hate it when people want dogs like that shaved. If you don't like their coat/shedding don't get a dog like that. Just my opinion.